Recovery w/o surgery?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello, I'm interested to know if anyone has recovered from FS without a surgical procedure....basically just letting it run its course. If so how long did it take? I've reached the 1 year mark with FS. Compared to many, my case is less severe. It only affects reaching behind my back, far external rotaion and reaching all the way above my head. I can raise my arm out in front and to the side with little pain. I do have pain opening and closing car door, stretching to reach something, can't throw a ball or carry anything heavy and I experience occasional "holy cow"moments of pain that stop me in my tracks for 10 secs or so. But most of the time I manage ok. It's limiting but not excruciating.
I've had an xray & MRI and ortho disgnosed it as FS. I've completed 20 sessions of PT with absolutely no impact. The dr is now suggesting either 1)manipulation under anesthesia, or 2) continue to do home exercises and see if I gain improvement over next 6 mos. He doesn't think injection will be helpful for me be this stage.
I am very reluctant to do manipulation. Just don't think I can handle the recovery very well on my own. I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts. Thank you in advance!
0 likes, 8 replies
donna21546 cindy58454
Posted
hilary36369 cindy58454
Posted
Hi Cindy, if you're 1 year into the journey and experiencing less relentless aching and less excrutiating moments perhaps you're in that frozen stage...? My left shoulder began to regain tiny 1mm incremental movements about 1yr into my left FS journey - but it has been a long road of recovery since then (more than another 2 years). I do have a lot more ROM now, but still need to regain strength, and have significant limitations on how much I use my arm and shoulder. But it is continuing to improve and my doctor reminds me how far I've progressed. I was never able to contemplate the thought of a surgical intervention as I just couldn't imagine how I would deal with more pain - i.e; i just could not risk it being worse than it was, and then, as it began to recover, I was moving in the right direction and couldn't find any solid evidence anywhere that convinced me to do anything surgical. I know there are folks on this forum who have had good results from various surgical interventions though. Different doctors and practitioners know varying amounts about this condition, and if you do want to contemplate surgery then getting more than one opinion and certainly asking the doctor to explain what their rates of success are (how many of their surgical patients improve and by how much and in what time frame) might be worthwhile. And go with what feels right for your body.
melissa48549 cindy58454
Posted
I am almost a year into FS on my right, dominate side. The worst of the pain resolved about 5 months into the process. Here at 11 months, I am finally able to sleep for short periods on my
" bad " side, walk without pain developing in the shoulder, dress and shower easily. I have regained a fair amount of mobility ( not complete) in reaching forward and up and in reaching to the side and up; have regained much less mobility though in external and internal movements. I am still sore all of the time. Recently, I feel like I might have plateaued in improvement . I haven't really noticed any real change in the last month. I keep telling myself that I will continue in the future to regain strength and mobility- that perhaps healing is not linear. There may be times perhaps without progress, I am hoping. I am extremely grateful to be able to sleep at night without waking repeatedly to excruciatingly pain, to be able to easily bring a fork to my mouth and to pull up my pants again. I can even shave under my arm now and reach to bathe under the other. So life is much better now. But I still want my arm and shoulder back the way they were. I still am greedy for more improvement. I am continuing to find the edge of my abilities and to try and push that edge a little further out. I make up my own exercises and stretches. I think average healing time is about 18 months, so I am trying to be patient with myself. On the other hand, I have read that complete recovery of range of motion is uncommon. So we shall see. I would be happy to exchange notes with you Cindy, since we appear to be at a similar place. I am determined not to even consider surgery until I know exactly how far I can come without it.
hilary36369 melissa48549
Posted
I can totally identify with what you've said Melissa, about improvement not being linear, and about constantly trying to find that safe edge to push forwards towards recovery. My journey has been far from linear, and is much more about forwards, backwards and sideways... and I also have that constant yearning to feel like my 'normal old self'. Every one of those things you mentioned, about being able to wash under the other arm, wash hair, dry and dress easily, to be that bit 'less sore', to be able to sleep, to be able to walk without throwing the body into pain or stiffness or some kind of chaos, feeling the slow release of so many limitations, feels like such a huge milestone when it happens doesn't it - and then there are so many more milestones yet to be met to reach full recovery. It's a reminder of the long succession of losses we have to face on that downward spiral as we are 'freezing' over many months. Such a mental and psychological challenge as well as a physical one. I am still recovering from double frozen shoulders and I am still reaching milestones 3.5years from when it all started. But life continues to get better rather than worse and I am also constantly reminding myself of my progress to stay positive. Each of us will probably have a slightly different journey with this and the majority of research that I have read says that we will recover over time and so I hope that we can all continue to improve and make our full recovery. Good luck!
melissa48549 hilary36369
Posted
Thanks for your supportive response Hilary. I can not imagine suffering with two frozen shoulders concurrently. I keep hoping for more improvement with my right, so that if I were yet to develop FS in my left, I would have at least regained a "side" to sleep on at night. I hope the overlap between each of your two shoulders freezing was not too great.
As you say, this entire experience really has been as much a mental and psychological challenge as it has been a physical one. The slow, but gathering losses, as the freezing painfully proceeded from no certain cause, but just straight out of the blue. For me so surreal. At one point, according to my physical therapist, my brain seemed to have physically disassociated with my arm and shoulder. But I think I was also psychologically disassociating from the reality of the excruciating pain and the actuality of having lost for all intents and purposes the use of my entire right limb. It was on this site, that a fellow sufferer confided a desire to amputate the afflicted arm, and I had actually experienced the same troubling thoughts, when my pain was at its worst. It was a comfort to know I was not alone.
It is impossible to describe this malady to those who've not experienced it; it is such an awful, strange and mysterious entity, and a definitive course of treatment to result in a cure has not been determined. There are no guarantees in terms of extent of recovery, but at least the research indicates that the vast majority of us will get better without medical intervention. It is wonderful to hear from those further along in the path of healing, who are generous and kind enough to take the time and effort to reach back to the rest of us still in anxious wonderment about what lies ahead. Hilary, I take such encouragement in both your fully relating to where I've been and to your sharing that at 3-plus years out, you are still getting improvements. That is such excellent news. Thank you so much for your post.
cindy58454 melissa48549
Posted
Thank you, Donna, Hilary, Melissa and Sarah! I can't express how helpful it is to know others understand - most people have never heard of this which is bad enough but add to it that it came about from no apparent cause, well, it's hard for folks to relate.
Very much on the fence about manipulation or release procedure. Dr said come back in 2 mos (Dec 2017) & he will assess if any improvement and if not, he recommends doing manipulation. He acknowledged the risk of fracture and because of that he said he will prep for a possible surgery and if he feels the manipulation is not working (e.g. risking fracture) he'll proceed with the surgery.
I think I'm mostly afraid of the pain and having to handle the recovery mostly on my own. Dr was up front that the first 72 hrs are pretty rough and important to start PT by day 2.
I expressed to him my concern that the procedure might make things worse. He said if that was common no dr would do these procedures -which I guess make a sense.
So on the one hand I want to improve as quickly as possible, but on the other if it could improve on its own in another 6 mos I'd gladly wait. I wish I had a crystal ball!
Sarah, so pleased that yours seems to be on mend w/no surgical intervention. Very hopeful. And Melissa, I'd love to exchange notes w/you as times goes on. Like you, I feel like I've plateaued myself.
I have a copy of my MRI so thinking I might get 2nd opinion for peace of mind and go from there.
I'll keep you all in my prayers for a speedy recovery! -Cindy
sarah16996 cindy58454
Posted
Hi there
I'm 19 months into my FS and it's way on the road to recovery. It was agony for nearly 6 months and then suddenly that pain went away. I'm now doing some exercises - walking my fingers up the wall etc, and I reckon in another 6 months, it'll be as good as new. I was going to have surgery 8 months in and am very glad I pulled out. Good luck - it will get better on its own.
linda14673 cindy58454
Posted
I've had 2 frozen shoulders. one for nearly a year then the other for over a year and a half. Both recovered in their own time . Lots of physio. one cortisone injection. Plenty of prescribed gels. Hydrotherapy and massages.